章 92: Round 1 (4)

The remaining two were thrown away to the edge of the stage by Shen Tianyu. She raised her eyebrows at the referee who was staring at her in a daze. "Referee, wasn't the round supposed to end when only three contestants remained?" She asked in a clear voice.

The referee snapped out of his daze just long enough to sound the gon, announcing the end of the first round for Stage 2. Gong!

The other two contestants had just gotten back up on the stage when the announcement ended. They could only grit their teeth. Attacks after the results were finalized weren't allowed or else they'd be kicked out of the competition entirely for foul play. They glared at Shen Tianyu, who was yawning with a hand covering her mouth and her wooden sword in her other hand. The then looked at each other, and seeing the hostility towards the other person in each other's eyes, nodded. They needed to get rid of her, otherwise, their chances of standing out would diminish exponentially. Do,petting against each other can be worried about later. However, how should they go about it?

Shen Tianyu's eyes flashed with an undiscernable light as she looked at the other two semi finalists on her stage. She narrowed her eyes and her lips curved into a mocking smile behind her hand. She then regained her previous indifferent and slightly bored expression and walked off the stage. She handed the wooden sword back to the referee and walked towards the stands. She looked back at the stages from right in front of the stands and walked along it until she reached Stage 9, Rong Jian's stage. She had finished hers so fast and with such domineerance that the other stages had barely begun actually fighting. She stood there on the edge of the field and watched Rong Jian's stage with her arms folded in front of her.

"Hey beauty, who are you looking for?" A male voice sounded behind her.

She swiveled her eyes and saw a richly dressed young nobleman with a servant anxiously standing behind him. She surmised that this nobleman was most likely a waste. They seemed the same age yet he wasn't participating in the competition at all. His clothes were too grand for a fight and not a single hair was out of place. She knew she was the first to finish her stage because she didn't hear any gong sounds prior. Every other noble child would either be watching the competition or participating in the tournament, if not for the family, then for their own future prospects. Yet, this one came over here chasing after a beauty. He also wasn't particularly good-looking, though he could be considered fit.

Shen Tianyu returned her eyes to the stage, ignoring him. Rong Jian was trying to win as inconspicuously as possible. He was also copying her method of going around and taking people out. Unlike her stage, however, no one called him out. His movements were also akin to that of a trained soldier, completely unlike Shen Tianyu's dance-like martial arts. She smiled with a somewhat proud look on her eyes. She had already prepared herself for a certain level of discrimination when she first came to this world so such a thing would not bother her much anymore. Besides, she had been in a social ladder made up mostly of men in her past life so she could be said to have experience.

"Hey, beauty! I'm talking to you over there!" The aristocrats voice rang again. This time, though he called her beauty, irritation could clearly be heard.

Shen Tianyu signed and uncrossed her arms. 'There's always such a bother around. Useless yet spoiled brats. Really hateful. I wish parents wouldn't produce these kinds of societal defects.' She thought as she walked away from that part of the stand. She stopped at another part where she could still see the stage.

Gong!

The gong for Stage 9 finally sounded. It was not even a quarter of an incense time after Stage 2, yet Stage 9 had already finished. Everyone was eyeing the semi finalists on the stage. However, one of them jumped off the stage as soon as the gong sounded. He thre the wooden sword at the referee and sped walked towards a side of the stage. As people followed the winner of Stage 9 with their eyes, they saw a simple yet indifferent and elegant beauty standing with her arms crossed and a slight smile on her lips. Just that smile alone made many hearts pound in the audience, unknowingly.

"Tian'er, I'm finished." Rong Jian reported to her.

Shen Tianyu quirked an eyebrow and just this small movement made Rong Jina's heart pound. "I know. I saw, did you think I couldn't see? I finished earlier than you."

Rong Jian just smiled at her. "I know. I just wanted to report."

"You, ah." Shen Tianyu held back her tongue and sighed. 'I should not disclose our strength here.'

She then turned around and looked back at him. "Let's go back then."

"Are we allowed to?"

"They never announced a rule that we needed to stay after our round. They'll announce the contents of the semifinals when we next convene."

Rong Jian nodded and followed her out of the makeshift stadium. They ignored the gazes of astonishment from the crowd. Usually, a contestant would stay until the end to make sure of who their opponents were and what strengths they were at. Yet these two are leaving just like that? They would be at a disadvantage! Some signed at the boldness and arrogance of youth, some merely smiled in amusement. But they all turned back to the stages as soon as the couple wasn't out of sight.

The Junzhu Wen Ya who was still battling on Stage 1 glared at the leaving couple hatefully. Everyone on her stage knew her identity as she flaunted it on a daily basis. So, afraid of upsetting the emperor and killing heir chances of a good future, all the other contestants avoided her like a deadly plague, even more so than Shen Tianyu. In such a situation, the Junzhu became more and more frustrated. First, she couldn't display her talents. Second, she couldn't quickly end the round like the other two did , as every time she got close to someone they would increase the distance again.